March 23, 2023 - the Perfect Spring Garden Themed Ceremony

Spring is a beautiful time of year to get married, and there's no better place to do it than at Shiraz Garden. Our garden-themed wedding venue is perfect for couples who want an outdoor ceremony with epic and sweeping views of the Texas Hill Country.

Late March is the best time for a spring wedding in Austin, Texas, and the surrounding hill country because it offers the perfect balance of weather, flowers, and newly sprouted green leaves across the sea of trees!

The weather in late March is usually mild and sunny, with average temperatures in the mid-70s during the day and low-60s at night. This makes it a comfortable time to be outdoors, without the heat and humidity of summer. The flowers are also in bloom in late March, with a variety of colorful blooms to choose from. This is a great time to have a garden wedding or to incorporate flowers into your wedding décor.

Enjoy Maria and Dave’s most gorgeous spring day! Truly some of the most stunning photos we’ve seen at Shiraz Garden and, at no surprise, captured by Faith and Fire Photo and Film — always an incredible choice!

SPRING OUTDOOR CEREMONY

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SHIRAZ GARDEN FOR YOUR HILL COUNTRY WEDDING?

We loved the idea of having the ceremony outdoors on an overlook since great views in the natural world have been such a big part of our relationship, and Shiraz has the best views from Sunset Vista! We love nature and the outdoors and thought the property was such a beautiful place to enjoy both. The garden is so unique. I really feel like Shiraz is a wedding venue that doesn't feel like other cookie cutter wedding venues and offers a real Texas Hill Country kind of experience for guests.

Maria and Dave choose 6 pm for their ceremony start time, giving them the perfect lighting for their spring outdoor ceremony at Sunset Vista. The ceremony should always be dictated by the sunset time. Typically this is 2 hours before sunset, but closer to 1-1.5 hours during the summer. Sunset Vista was stunning for their day, with the trees in every direction giving off their newly sprouted leaves with vibrant green slashes of color!

SUNSET GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOS AT MOHANA OUTLOOK

It’s our couple’s favorite spot to sneak off for sunset photos — MOHAN OUTLOOK! This one-of-a-kind, jaw-droppingly beautiful space sits at the top of the Hidden Staircase. It is perfectly positioned to capture the golden rays of sunset and give our couples that perfect glow and memorable backdrop.

“The Spark” at City Theatre Austin

Maria and Dave met in 2013 when they were cast in a production of Macbeth at the City Theatre in Austin. They played Macduff and Lady Macduff, a married couple that didn’t share a single scene. Maria was violently murdered onstage every night, and Dave lamented the news before avenging it with a beheading. At that time, a spark was lit, but it remained just a spark until the spring of 2017. Maria had moved back to Shreveport for a year and was traveling back and forth from there to Austin for auditions and to visit her sister. Dave and Maria started spending time together during these trips. When Maria came to Austin to see Dave and another friend in a production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, they started dating "seriously." Maria moved back to Austin, and they've been together ever since! Their wedding date marks six years of dating for them.

FUN CULTURAL OR SENTIMENTAL TOUCHES TO YOUR DAY?

Maria carried her maternal great-grandmother's handkerchief, which her mother also carried on her wedding day. We plan to incorporate our Cajun, Italian, and Slovak cultures through music, a toast between the bride and groom with a plum brandy called slivovica, and our wedding favors containing homemade confections from each of our home states (Louisiana and Ohio). We plan to play some Cajun music, polka music, and a tarantella.

We want our wedding to feel authentic to who we are as a couple. We don't want our wedding to feel like it has to follow a standard wedding template. Must have: good food, good drinks, fun dancing, special touches that reflect who we are as a couple, lots of color, good times, no drama. We don't want to feel totally bound by what is traditional. We do want the wedding to feel like it's ours. We'd most like our guests to remember the fun they had celebrating our love. We hope they'll notice and appreciate the beauty of the natural environment and the venue. We hope they remember the food, too!

AUSTIN WEDDING ADVICE FROM SPRING BRIDE:

If you plan to compose your ceremony yourselves, start working on it early in the planning process! Make sure you and your partner stay on the same page throughout the planning, and don't forget what's important: you're marrying the person you've chosen to love for the rest of your life! Don't let vendors pressure you into spending more than you want or having things you don't need. Don't waste too much time worrying about how other people will react to your decisions. It's your wedding, and it should reflect how you want your love to be celebrated above all else! Make sure you have a budget before you start planning. Weddings cost a lot, but don't be afraid to say no to anything you don't think is necessary!

If you're planning a springtime wedding, we hope that you'll consider Shiraz Garden as your wedding venue. We would love to help you create a beautiful and unforgettable wedding day. Visit our website to learn more about Shiraz Garden and to book your wedding. We can't wait to help you celebrate your special day!

AUSTIN VENDOR TEAM

Shiraz In-House Coordination, Brittani

Faith and Fire Photo and Film

WeTendBar

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Wildflower Rx

Paper Route Bakery and Russell’s Bakery

Anastasia Miller - HMUA